By Rachel Moulden for Digital First Media
Bloomfield Hills artist Ann Loveland has desired to be an artist since her childhood. She was exposed to art from an early age by her mother, who was an art teacher in Detroit.
Her interest grew as she got older and took art classes during her time at Redford High School and studied art at Wittenberg University in Ohio, where she obtained a bachelor of fine arts degree.
During her early adult years she moved to Paris, hoping to become a famous artist. Things didn’t work out as planned and she moved back home to Farmington. She trained to be a teacher at the University of Detroit and went on to teach art in Farmington Public Schools. Now retired from teaching, she focuses solely on painting.
Loveland mainly works with watercolors but also uses acrylic and ink. She enjoys creating still lifes and enjoys rendering patterns and reflections.
“People say watercolor is hard,” she says, “but like anything you just have to work at it.”
Her most current exhibition, “The Still Life,” is on display on Farmington Hills City Hall. The exhibition consists of 12 watercolor paintings of objects and people, inspired by things she sees in everyday life.
When Loveland creates still life paintings, she chooses from a variety of objects in her home, including antiques and items passed down in her family. Each piece takes many hours and patience to compose. Some of her favorite subjects are glass globes, marbles, zinnias and a porcelain plate that her mother once owned.
Loveland prefers to paint indoors. Her studio is in her basement. “I like to think of it as my territory,” she says with a laugh.
Her favorite artists include Vermeer, Matisse, and Picasso. She says she enjoys abstract art and dabbles in the style from time to time, but says still life continues to be her strong suit.
When reflecting on art’s place in society Loveland says, “I feel that visual art, music, and the written word doesn’t have a big enough part in society. There’s a lot of bad stuff going on in the world and people need art to get away from it — even for a little while. If we had more art, in might have a bigger part in today’s society.”
When Loveland is not painting she spends time with her large family. She also likes to garden and enjoys companionship with her dogs.
“The Still Life” exhibition runs through March 23 at Exhibits Gallery at Farmington Hills City Hall, 31555 W. 11 Mile Road. For more information, call 248-473-1800.
To learn more about Loveland and her artwork, visit annloveland.com.
Rachel Moulden 